Online Multiple-choice Assessments available for remote sittingPosted on March 8th 2021

Gateway Qualifications is allowing learners to take online multiple-choice assessments remotely from 8th March 2021.

These further adaptations apply to the following qualifications and will permit learners to take assessments remotely subject to centres meeting the required supervision arrangements.

Centres must continue to register learners in Quartzweb as usual. You can find guidance on booking assessments on the External Assessment pages of our website

Assessment will be taken using HTML delivery and so learners will be able to access these via a standard web browser and will not need to install Surpass Secure Client.

Assessments must take place under supervised conditions. Centres could undertake supervision via Zoom or Microsoft Teams, for example. The supervisor must be able to authenticate the identity of the learner, monitor the assessment and ensure that the work is the learner’s own unaided work.

Any room in which an assessment is held must provide learners with appropriate conditions for taking the assessment. In addition, as required by the specification the supervisor would need to ensure verification of the Learner’s identity. The supervisor will also need to keep a record of the location and time/date of the assessment.

If you are planning to allow your learners to sit the live assessment remotely, you may find it helpful to consider the following:

  • the learner’s hardware and software meets the system requirements for Surpass, available on our website
  • the learner has sufficient access to devices to complete the assessment, especially if they are sharing devices with other members of the household
  • the learner has access to a reliable internet connection
  • you have a secure and reliable means to distribute keycodes and pins to learners
  • providing learners with an opportunity to take a mock assessment remotely, to ensure that learners and staff are familiar with the systems, requirements and supervision set up

You should also share the Surpass Candidate Guide with your learners, which is available within the Centre guidance for adaptations for Surpass Online Multiple Choice Assessments.

Tutors should provide learners with a simple overview of the process and system using screenshare before starting the assessment, we have produced a simple PowerPoint presentation you may wish to use.

Centres should also refer to the Centre guidance for adaptations to qualification delivery and assessment 2020-2021.